About Dodge Ram Promaster Build (by Shaiden)
In this module Shaiden Valentine will walk you though each and every single step required to converting your van into a home
Module Content
In this module Shaiden Valentine will walk you though each and every single step required to converting your van into a home
Welcome to my Van Build
1 Lesson
1) Building the Outer Shell of your Van
7 Lessons
Welcome to the outer shell! This is the section of the course where you will actually be building and working on your van! The outer shell consists of all the installs that you need to do to prepare for the inner shell section of the course, windows, solar, vents, air conditioning will all be covered in this section.
This is the first step in our conversion! Once you know where your vent fan will be you can install!
Once you have an idea of if you want to install a Fresair air cooler or not, you can watch this video! If not, skip to the next video!
Installing the heater can come at multiple stages of the course, but we're putting it in the outer shell video since it directly cuts through the outside of the van. We order our webasto sac 2000 from heaters4you.com
Let's get some power! It's time to install solar panels on the roof of your van, the size of system you decide to install can vary depending on your power needs. We'll be installing a 400 watt system which will be perfect to power everything in this van!
We chose to go with panoramic clamp ring install CRL windows. I buy my windows from vanwindowsdirect.com!
In this video we'll be installing some motion windows rear t vent windows, to provide some ventilation for our vent fan! I buy these from motion windows.
2) Building the Inner Shell of your Van
8 Lessons
Congrats on making it to section 3, inner shell! You've made it through some of the scariest installs in the build (cutting metal) and now it's on to some prep work to be ready to mount cabinets and have power to all your appliances.
Sound deadening isn't necessary, but it's definitely worthwhile! About $50 can help lower the amount of sound that travels through the walls of your van dramatically.
Welcome to wire runs! Electrical can be intimidating for most people, but don't worry! In this video we'll try to simplify it down to the core elements. Before running your wires you'll need to tape off where all your 12v DC and 120v AC needs are!
In this section we'll be insulating the van! This step is so important and you won't regret doing it right! We went with 1" polyiso boards, but there are many ways to insulate your van!
Furring Strips are the studs of your build. They help to create a nice surface for attaching walls panels and cabinets later in the build.
In this video we'll be installing ceiling and lights! We left the ceiling bland so that the client can choose what color to stain/paint it down the road, or just leave it natural. Staining and painting the ceiling is easier in advance if you do wan t to do that.
In this video we'll be going over how to panel your doors! There's so many options for materials on the doors, but we'll be going with this nice whiteboard material!
3) Rear Benches
4 Lessons
Welcome to the rear benches! This is an exciting moment because the build finally starts taking 3D Shape!
We'll be building the rear benches in this video! These benches will house your electrical and water systems!
At the end of our build we installed a middle bench for a mini garage!
In this video we'll be going over how to cut your foam, and why we choose to outsource upholstery to an upholstery shop.
4) Core Electrical
11 Lessons
Welcome to the electrical section of the course! This is probably the main reason why many of you bought the course! We will be going over the entire core of your electrical install, everything except running the ac and dc circuits which we covered in a previous video. Enjoy, relax, take it one step at a time!
In this video we'll be going over the different components of our electrical system, what they do, and why we choose them!
In this video we'll be going over the shore power inlet and what it does. If you choose to just do an inverter vs. inverter/charger, no need to install shore power!
In this video we'll be going over where to place your electrical components to get an idea of how your core will be played out!
In this video we'll be going over the AC/DC distribution panel! This takes ac/dc power from your inverter and batteries and distributes it via fuses and breakers to all of your circuits in the van!
In this video we'll be going over your solar charge controller and how to connect it!
In this video we'll be going over alternator charging! We'll be using a 60 amp Renogy dc-dc charger for this!
In this video we go over the entire electrical system and it's components installed!
5) Core Plumbing
8 Lessons
In this video we'll be going over the plumbing system in the van and how to plan your plumbing!
In this video we'll be going over the components in your plumbing system!
In this video we'll be planning out the plumbing needs of the shower and sink!
In this video we'll be going over your water tank fill valve and vent!
This is the first stage of connecting plumbing connections! We'll be going over the tank, drain, pumps, and city water fill valve!
In this video we'll be going over the gravity water fill, system ventilation, and Fresair return!
In this video we'll be going over the hot and cold connections, water heater install, and wiring your pumps!
In this video we'll be installing a rear shower box!
6) Bathroom
11 Lessons
Welcome to the bathroom section of the course! In this section we'll be going over the shower and toilet install!
In this video we'll be showing you how to frame in your shower, and run plumbing lines for your fixtures!
In this video we'll be installing the shower pan liner, shower pan, and drain!
In this video we'll be installing the tile backer board!
In this video we'll be installing the hexagon vinyl tiles with loctite 3x stronger!
In this video we'll be showing you how to grout the tile you just installed!
In this video we'll be installing the fixtures, such as the shower head, and mixer!
In this video we will be mounting our nautilus shower door!
In this video we'll b e installing a light in the shower!
In this video we'll be trimming in the shower to cover up some of the uglier framing!
In this video we'll be going over the toilet that we used for this build!
7) Kitchen
15 Lessons
In this video we'll be going over the kitchen, and planning a bit of where your kitchen will be!
In this video we'll be going over planning your kitchen cabinets!
In this video we'll be going over the toe kick frame, which the kitchen cabinets will sit on top of.
In this video we'll be installing ikea base kitchen cabinets!
In this video we'll be installing the toe kicks!
In this video we'll be installing the drawers and doors on our kitchen cabinets.
in this section we'll be planning out where the fridge, stove, and sink will be in the kitchen.
In this video we'll be cutting and installing acacia counter tops!
In this video we'll be mounting the sink and stove!
In this video we'll be installing the fridge!
In this video we'll be installing the sink and faucet!
In this video we'll be installing the sink drain, which can be routed into a grey water tank if you choose.
In this video we'll be going over the hot and cold sink connections!
In this video we'll be going over cabinet ventilation to prevent your fridge or stove from failing.
8) Closet and Upper Cabinets
4 Lessons
In this video we'll be going over the main storage areas! These being the closet and upper cabinets!
In this video we'll be going over the closet install!
In this video we'll be installing upper cabinets in the van!
In this video we'll be installing rv latches and pulls for the cabinets and drawers!
9) Finishing Touches
12 Lessons
In this video we'll be going over the finishing touches section of the course! This has tons of things you can do to add your own character!
In this section we'll be covering up our webasto heater, and installing the front control pillar!
In this section we'll be installing the front curtain!
In this section we'll be installing flooring and trim in the van!
In this video we'll be framing in the sliding door, and installing the control pillar.
In this video we'll be building window frames and some controls for the water pump and water heater.
In this next video we'll be painting the entire van!
In this video we'll be cutting and installing the rear dinette table!
In this video we'll be going over our cushions, and insulated window inserts!
in this video we'll be installing mosquito nets in the doors of the van!
Congrats on finishing the course! Now get out there and have some fun with your newly finished van!!!